​My question for you is how do you feel about 2025? Here it is, right on the cusp of a New Year and I have noticed that as we enter a New Year, we tend to have different feelings.

​Christmas is a time to reflect on what matters most and focus on the values that we hold close. This year brings you the most original faith and family Christmas content available, offering more meaningful and quality stories than we have ever had, to celebrate Christmas as it is meant to be. These heartfelt stories will remind you of the faith, hope, and traditions that make Christmas so special. Gather with your loved ones, and let us bring the true spirit of Christmas into your home. 

What is your perspective? What will your Christmas celebration be like this year? The one whose birth we celebrate also said this:  “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that.” (Luke 6:32-33)

​Are you ready for Christmas yet? We have about two weeks to go. Everybody is so busy buying presents that we might be forgetting what the real reason for the season is. 

​Can I ask you a question, “What is your perspective of Christmas?” This week we are asking that question to a person who is a main player in the Christmas story. 

The story of Herod is in contrast with Matthew 2 with the arrival and adoration of the Magi. They provide two pictures of how people respond to the birth of Christ the King. Which picture resembles your heart and life? 

​Starting December 1st, we are starting a new series called “What’s Your PERSPECTIVE of Christmas?” I was talking with someone the other day who did not grow up in church. This is the story they told me about their Christmas.

​It is not always easy to give thanks, but this is the very thing we must do to see God's will accomplished in our lives. This is how we move into higher realms of faith for ourselves, for our city, and for our nation.

​The definition of gratitude is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for.” It is not about our circumstances, our season, our day, our attitude, or our mood. It is a readiness to show appreciation or gratefulness anyway, regardless of our feelings. Gratitude is a mindset. It is a habit. It is ready to be thankful even when we do not feel like it. I would say that Thanksgiving is a foundational pillar of Christianity.

​Can I ask you a question? Have you ever led a person to Jesus? Or were you a part of helping someone to come to Jesus Christ? I have discovered something that helped me change my mind on this subject.

​I want to invite you to church this coming Sunday. I am going to share a message called “Share Your Story.” I want to just start by saying everything starts with a story. The Bible says in Matthew 13:34 (NLT), “Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, He never spoke to them without using such parables.”